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Message 1 - Hi Helen

Posted on: 12 January 2004 by Susan Nolen - WW2 Writing Buddy

This is an area that interest me highly. Are you interested in any research/articles on this? I'll be more than happy to help anyone on especially this subject.

P.S. I am still having problems with my personal page, and still not listed as a writing buddy

One question I would love to ask- is if anyone had any experiences with Beauty, a wire fox terrier, who won an award from the PDA for her rescue work in digging out bombed sites in London during the height of the Blitz.

Cheers
Susan WW2 Writing Buddy.

Message 1 - Animals in War

Posted on: 20 January 2004 by Carey - WW2 Site Helper

by Freddie Dyke (U238114)

ANIMALS in WAR.

I must applaud the ´óÏó´«Ã½ war team for now asking for stories RE 'Animals in Wartime' as this is the very purpose of my postings to the site. For my part I have written a book which I hope to have published in a short time giving the details of the value and the life saving exploits of the humble Racing Pigeon. There is to be erected in Park Lane London later this year the ANIMALS in WAR' memorial which I hope will bring to the general public he knoweledge that the coveted 'Dicken Medal' the animal 'VC' has been awarded to 55 gallant animals in service to the saving of human life.

I have already entered some stories of the part our pigeons played and the winning of 32 out of the 55 medals awarded, yet the general public have no idea that we owe so much to the animals/birds that played such a vital part in helping to defeat the 'Jerries' and the 'Japs' when our country faced its greatest danger of being invaded.
My postings are 'Kenley Lass and Phillipe'and some pages from my book
'Memoirs of a Wartime Teenager'.

I will now add a few more exploits of our birds that were awarded the
Animal 'VC'and homed to their lofts, some times injured and thereby saved many lives.

'WHITE VISION'
for delivering a message under difficult conditions leading to the rescue of 11 members of a RAF flying boat that had ditched in the sea off the Hebrides in 1943. The weather was bad and and the search was called off, but White Vision arrived at her home loft at about 5pm, this bird had flown over 60 miles of heavy seas against a head wind of 25mph in poor visibility of some 100yds when she was released and only a 300yd visibility when she arrived. A wonderful chievement and a noble effort.

'WINKIE'
On Feb 28th 1942 a damaged Beaufort ditched after a 'Strike' off the
Norwegian coast, and partly broke up 120 miles from the Scottish coast. This pigeon escaped from his container and fell into the oily sea and struggled clear.It was 129mls to base,the nearest land 120mls and only 1-1/2 hours of daylight left. The pigeon homed soon after dawn the next morning exhausted and wet,as the air search crew had a poor radio fix which was unsuccessful, Sgt Davidson of the RAF pigeon service deduced from the arrival of the bird and its condition that the search area was incorrect. The search was redirected in accordance with his advice and 15 minutes later the crew were located and rescued. The crew later gave a dinner in London to the pigeon and her owner in appreciation of her life saving fly and christened her 'WINKIE'

'GI'JOE'
This bird was credited with the most outstanding flight by a US army pigeon in WW2 by making a 20 mile flight in the same number of minutes. It brought the message just in time to save the lives of at least 100 Allied troops from being bombed by our own planes after they had captured the area from the Germans.

I have many other stories to tell of the life saving ability of our pigeons that leaves us oweing a debt to their humble way of life that very few of the 'JOE' public ever realised. Much of our wartime exploits were never revealed as much of our work in this respect was 'Classified'but at least I can try and enlighten some people in the valiant and award winning ways of the British racing pigeon.

All for now. Keep watching. FREDDY DYKE. ANIMALS in WAR.

Message 1 - IB FIDELIUS AEDELTAND

Posted on: 04 February 2004 by Allan Scott

My mother Minna Chatrine Tofte was born in Denmark, but came to England in 1937, married my father, Len Scott, and joined the ATS in 1939. She was called up in August. Her black Scots terrier was called 'Ib Fidelius Aedeltand' (Ib Faithful Noble-tooth) after a dog in a Danish story.

On 26 October she wrote: ‘Last night there was a beauty competition at a concert in St. Andrew’s Hall. As it was for members of the A.T.S. I entered Ib, but he was eventually disqualified owing to being the ‘wrong shape’ in spite of overwhelming enthusiasm from most of the soldiers present!’

Shortly after this Ib was officially adopted as the Company Mascot and appeared with them in group photographs.

I don't think Ib made any heroic contribution to the war effort, but he certainly helped to raise morale!

(I have photographs of my mother in ATS uniform with Ib, and the whole company with Ib as mascot).